Trends in public health policies addressing violence against women

Abstract

OBJECTIVE To analyze the content of policies and action plans within the public healthcare system that addresses the issue of violence against women.METHODS A descriptive and comparative study was conducted on the health policies and plans in Catalonia and Costa Rica from 2005 to 2011. It uses a qualitative methodology with documentary analysis. It is classified by topics that describe and interpret the contents. We considered dimensions, such as principles, strategies, concepts concerning violence against women, health trends, and evaluations.RESULTS Thirteen public policy documents were analyzed. In both countries’ contexts, we have provided an overview of violence against women as a problem whose roots are in gender inequality. The strategies of gender policies that address violence against women are cultural exchange and institutional action within the public healthcare system. The actions of the healthcare sector are expanded into specific plans. The priorities and specificity of actions in healthcare plans were the distinguishing features between the two countries.CONCLUSIONS The common features of the healthcare plans in both the counties include violence against women, use of protocols, detection tasks, care and recovery for women, and professional self-care. Catalonia does not consider healthcare actions with aggressors. Costa Rica has a lower specificity in conceptualization and protocol patterns, as well as a lack of updates concerning health standards in Catalonia.

Pattern of oral‐maxillofacial trauma from violence against women and its associated factors

“…1,9,38 The findings of this study highlight the importance of public awareness regarding physical violence against women, as well as preventive measures for maxillofacial injuries. As observers, professionals working in primary health care are in a unique position to detect, treat, and refer victims to institutions that can offer specialized assistance.…”

“…As observers, professionals working in primary health care are in a unique position to detect, treat, and refer victims to institutions that can offer specialized assistance. 1,9,38 The findings of this study highlight the importance of public awareness regarding physical violence against women, as well as preventive measures for maxillofacial injuries. Furthermore, the present research can address the lack of information in the literature about the pattern of oral-maxillofacial trauma stemming from violence against women and associated factors through a medico-legal and forensic perspective.…”

“…6 Exposure to violence can reduce participation in social life, instill fear, and negatively impact the quality of life of victims. [9][10][11] Injuries resulting from assaults generate high emotional and social costs. The face is one of the main targets of aggressors, as they consciously or unconsciously aim to affect the self-esteem of the victim.…”

The Brazilian policy for reduction of accidents and violence aligns with international perspectives?

“…The deficiencies and fragilities in violence prevention are also identified in public policies and in health systems of other countries, that answer to a dichotomous violence model and, sometimes, the health system itself does not have violence as priority, being the emphasis given by the judicial system and getting diffuse the role of the sanitary system (6) .…”

Barreras y facilitadores del abordaje de la violencia contra las mujeres: perspectivas profesionales entre Cataluña y Costa Rica.

“…Entre los rasgos comunes en ambos contextos están el papel de los movimientos sociales de mujeres y feministas en la construcción de política pública y la inclusión de la violencia hacia las mujeres en los planes de salud, el uso de protocolos, las tareas de detección, atención y recuperación para las mujeres, y el autocuidado profesional. Entre las diferencias, Cataluña no contempla acciones sanitarias con agresores; mientras que en Costa Rica existía, a la fecha de ese estudio, una menor especificidad y consistencia conceptual de lo que se entendía por violencia hacia las mujeres y, por lo tanto, lo que se reflejaba sobre esta en las políticas, los planes y los protocolos de actuación sanitarios, así como una carencia de la actualización de normas sanitarias del Ministerio de Salud (Rojas, Gutiérrez Rosado, Cantera, Marenco y Fernández, 2014).…”